Rural homesteaders and urban apartment-dwellers alike will find a mother lode of practical information packed into this completely revised and updated edition of the ultimate how-to handbook for all generations. A selective compendium of public-domain documents, it brings together in one volume a wealth of knowledge and useful instruction on just about every imaginable aspect of self-sufficiency—from building a dwelling and growing food to raising children, using tools of all kinds, and, yes, getting more mileage out of your car. Readers will learn how to: build a greenhouse; administer first aid; stock an emergency shelter; survive in the wilderness, at sea, and in the city; plant, buy farmland; grow plants indoors and out; read architect’s drawings; care for household pets; repair clothing; hunt, trap, and fish; repair a screen or leaking faucet; butcher and store big-game kill; relieve allergy symptoms; control insects; stay safe during storms and floods; can and freeze fruits and vegetables; take your own blood pressure; and much, much more! Praise for a previous edition: “How we have survived this long without [this book], I don’t know. The concept is brilliant and simple. . . . If we had lived in a rural community a century ago, much of the knowledge gathered here would have been in our bones.” —Harper’s

The author of Ecothrifty shows you how to life more self-sufficiently with her guide to modern homesteading―no farm required. Food recalls, dubious health claims, scary and shocking ingredients in health and beauty products. Our increasingly industrialized supply system is becoming more difficult to navigate, more frightening, and more frustrating, leaving us feeling stuck choosing in many cases between the lesser of several evils. That’s why author Deborah Niemann is here to offer healthier, more empowering choices, by showing us how to reclaim links in our food and purchasing chains, to make choices that are healthier for our families, ourselves, and our planet. In this fully updated and revised edition of Homegrown and Handmade, Deborah shows how making things from scratch and growing some of your own food can help you eliminate artificial ingredients from your diet, reduce your carbon footprint, and create a more authentic life. Whether your goal is increasing your self-reliance or becoming a full-fledged homesteader, this book is packed with answers and solutions to help you rediscover traditional skills, take control of your food from seed to plate, and much more. This comprehensive guide to food and fiber from scratch proves that attitude and knowledge is more important than acreage. Written from the perspective of a successful, self-taught modern homesteader, this well-illustrated, practical, and accessible manual will appeal to anyone who dreams of a more empowered life. “Dreaming of a mindful life? Niemann’s advice on gardening, cooking, orcharding, raising livestock, and much more demonstrates that it’s possible to begin the journey in your own backyard.” —Rebecca Martin, Managing Editor, Mother Earth News

Being a homesteader today may seem difficult; the world is full of so many gadgets and conveniences, many of which most of us consider necessary to live a full and happy life. In this collection, edited and arranged by Jay Cassell, you’ll see that going off the grid, adapting to your surroundings, and depending on yourself and your land is really not as challenging as one may think. With the information and tips you learn in this book, you’ll easily find success as a modern-day homesteader. The essays featured in The Ultimate Guide to Self-Reliant Living were written by some of today’s most respected outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen, nature enthusiasts, agricultural professionals, and successful homesteaders. Through the information on these pages, you will learn the best techniques and approaches concerning: Hunting, fishing, and trapping Foraging Growing and preparing your own food Animal husbandry Living off the grid Building barns and outbuildings Green living Country skills Alternative energy, such as solar panels and windmills Primitive survival skills, such as making fires and finding shelter

The ultimate how-to book for all generations Rural homesteaders and urban apartment dwellers alike will find a mother lode of practical information packed into this hefty handbook. A selective compendium of public-domain documents, it provides in one single volume a wealth of knowledge and useful instruction on just about every imaginable aspect of self-sufficiency, from building a living structure and growing food to raising children and using tools of all kinds. Hundreds of pamphlets, documents, and articles are reproduced here in facsimile, making this a true cornucopia of practical advice. Readers will learn how to: Build a greenhouseAdminister first aid Stock a shelter in case of nuclear attackBuild a stone wallSurvive in the wilderness, at sea, and in the cityPlant, prune, and propagate trees and shrubsBuy farmlandPrevent wood decayGrow plants indoors and outRead architect's drawings Care for household petsKeep beesPrevent and remove mildewRepair clothingHunt, trap, and fishRepair a screen or leaking faucetWeaveReplace a broken windowButcher and store big-game killUse a mortising machineApply plaster and set tileRelieve allergy symptomsBuild a wood-frame, brick, or log houseControl insectsManage a toddlerStay safe during storms and floodsCan and freeze fruits and vegetablesTreat various forms of athritisMake breadTake your own blood pressureCut metal and stoneand much, much more! Quote 2 here

The classic USDA handbook to self-reliant living, now completely revised and updated.

"Society does not generally expect its farmers to be visionaries." Perhaps not, but longtime Maine farmer and homesteader Will Bonsall does possess a unique clarity of vision that extends all the way from the finer points of soil fertility and seed saving to exploring how we can transform civilization and make our world a better, more resilient place. In Will Bonsall's Essential Guide to Radical, Self-Reliant Gardening, Bonsall maintains that to achieve real wealth we first need to understand the economy of the land, to realize that things that might make sense economically don't always make sense ecologically, and vice versa. The marketplace distorts our values, and our modern dependence on petroleum in particular presents a serious barrier to creating a truly sustainable agriculture. For him the solution is, first and foremost, greater self-reliance, especially in the areas of food and energy. By avoiding any off-farm inputs (fertilizers, minerals, and animal manures), Bonsall has learned how to practice a purely veganic, or plant-based, agriculture--not from a strictly moralistic or philosophical perspective, but because it makes good business sense: spend less instead of making more. What this means in practical terms is that Bonsall draws upon the fertility of on-farm plant materials: compost, green manures, perennial grasses, and forest products like leaves and ramial wood chips. And he grows and harvests a diversity of crops from both cultivated and perennial plants: vegetables, grains, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and nuts--even uncommon but useful permaculture plants like groundnut (Apios). In a friendly, almost conversational way, Bonsall imparts a wealth of knowledge drawn from his more than forty years of farming experience. "My goal," he writes, "is not to feed the world, but to feed myself and let others feed themselves. If we all did that, it might be a good beginning."

Become self-reliant, live off the land, and be prepared for the unexpected in this modern guide to self-sufficiency and homesteading from New York Times bestselling author, retired Navy SEAL, and survival skills expert Clint Emerson. “Add The Rugged Life by former Navy SEAL Clint Emerson to your library today and get on the path to independence and self-sufficiency.”—Jack Carr, Navy SEAL Sniper and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Devil’s Hand Clint Emerson is the go-to expert for surviving the first minutes, hours, and days of a crisis. Now, in The Rugged Life, he works with modern homesteading experts to show you how to thrive over the long-term—for months, years, or even a lifetime—by being prepared and self-sufficient. You can live the Rugged Life completely off-the-grid by farming your own food and using the waste from your toilet for compost. Or, you can live it by adding solar panels to your suburban home and keeping chickens and bees in your backyard. You can even live the Rugged Life in a city by simply gathering the salad for tonight’s dinner from your windowsill garden. Each of these homesteading and prepper long-term survival skills stand on their own, and taken together, they can help you design the independent life you want for yourself and your family. • Be your own homesteader: Make your own shampoo and face creams; pickle and ferment food; make natural bug spray and cleaning products; smoke meat; tan a hide • Be your own protector: Create a last-resort emergency plan; gather medicinal plants; protect against dangerous animals and threats; understand survival first aid • Be your own provider: Hunt for game; make a gillnet; set snares; forage for wild foods; build a rabbit hutch; ice fish; butcher a pig; keep bees • Be your own builder: Retrofit a van; set up solar, microhydro, and geothermal power; create a water catchment and filtration system; build a shipping container home • Be your own farmer: Grow a victory garden; build a greenhouse; waffle garden to save space and resources; build a root cellar; can, dry, and store crops; operate a tractor With hundreds of step-by-step, illustrated, self-sustaining skills and projects, The Rugged Life is for everyone who feels they can use more adventure, freedom, and choice in their life—everyone ready to get out of their comfort zone and try new, hard, profoundly rewarding things.